Telling anyone about a pregnancy was no easy feat. Each time she tried to tell him and Dylan, she’d clammed up. There hadn’t been any way to just blurt out the words. She’d thought of ways of preparing them. Asking about families. Wondering where they saw their future. None of it had happened.
There was no easy way to clean this mess up.
Now, she was alone. She wouldn’t stay with a man who thought of her as a slut. This wasn’t why she slept with both men. She had been with both because the very thought of being without either of them had made her feel sick. She’d fallen for them both, and Max had ruined that. He’d ruined their time together.
“Look, I don’t know what got into Max. You know he’s not like that. He would never hurt you.”
“Dylan, I can’t do this now.”
“You’re pregnant.”
“I know, and don’t worry. I don’t want anything from either of you. I’ll figure it out.”
“Damn it, Raine. Stop trying to run away and just talk to me.”
She glared at him. “No. I don’t deserve this. You don’t have the right to treat me like this. I’m in love with you, and I’m in love with Max, and that makes me a fool. You two are just my bosses, and I should have known that was all it was. I signed that contract stating I was just an employee. I’m the idiot for thinking we could be anything more.” She hated how she sounded. Her voice croaked as if she was having a hard time talking, and she was.
“I wanted to tell you both. I tried to, but do you have any idea how hard it is to just say, I’m pregnant? That I’m going to have one of your babies? I found out last night. That’s when I took the test. I’ve been wanting to tell you, but now, after what he just said, I will figure this out on my own. I don’t need either of you.”
“Don’t get rid of it,” Dylan said.
“Oh, my God. What kind of person do you think I am?” She put her hand on her stomach. “I will never get rid of this baby. I love him or her.” She shook her head and stormed out of the room.
She had to get away from them.
Her car keys were waiting on a small hook by the door. She hadn’t driven in some time. Lake loved to walk to school, and for any other journey, Max and Dylan had driven her in one of their fancy cars.
With her key in her hand, she found her car almost hidden from view between two of their more expensive vehicles. She didn’t care.
After opening the trunk of her car, she shoved her case inside and moved around to the front. She climbed behind the wheel and didn’t hesitate for a single moment. Pushing her key into the ignition, she started up her car and began to pull out, being careful not to scrape the sides of the car. They would think she did it on purpose.
The moment she was clear, she pulled away.
In her rearview mirror, she saw Max coming out of the door, but she ignored him. Her heart ached as she drove away from Dylan, Lake, and even Max. They had gotten into her heart, and now all she felt was pain and loneliness.
She put a hand to her stomach. “Don’t you worry. I love you. I love you so much, and I’m going to take care of you.”
With each word she spoke, she couldn’t help but feel the pain of Max’s accusations, and even Dylan’s doubts. She had fallen for those men, but they didn’t trust her, not one bit.
****
A couple of days later, Dylan wasn’t in a good mood. He hung up his cell phone after Raine refused to take his calls.
Life at his home was … unbearable.
He and Max attempted to pretend everything was okay for Lake, but he was holding on by a thread.
The moment Max had fucked everything up, Dylan didn’t know if he had the power to forgive him.
He saw Raine’s number on his cell phone, dialed the number, and waited. It rang and kept on ringing, and nothing.
No answer.
He hadn’t spoken to her since he’d gone to her in the bedroom, and he hadn’t helped matters.
Raine was pregnant with their child. He didn’t give a shit if it was his or Max’s. They had agreed long ago to share a woman. To make her life better, but all they had done was hurt Raine.
With another unanswered call, he threw his cell phone down on his desk.
Lake was back at school.
It was Max’s turn to pick her up. She’d been asking about Raine, wondering where Raine was. Why she no longer cooked dinner. Why she didn’t pick her up. So many questions, all of which he’d given Max to answer.